Shop with your heart~with every purchase, we decide how they live.

I’ve done a bunch of posts about socially conscious shopping. I boycott more companies than I can count, and conversely I try to support local businesses and those that support hiring people with disabilities. I also am very particular, and growing more so each day, about where my food comes from. I only buy local produce, dairy and meat. I often find that the information I was about food products can be hard to find and misleading when you can find it. So I was thrilled to learn about the ASPCA’s Shop with your Heart initiative.

A normal medium size family spends hundreds of dollars each month on things like chicken, beef, and sausage. As consumers, most of us do not realize just how powerful we are. As a group, we have the power to make something a success or even push to have something inhumane pulled from the shelves. But it takes us, as one collective, to get it done.

Over the last few years, American consumers have begun to demand and expect a great deal more from their food and the people who provide that food to them. As socially conscious shoppers, we are changing the concept of food as we know it. We are making strides – but this is an uphill battle to say the least.

By buying welfare-certified animal products, or more plant-based products, you send a strong message to food companies that you care about the treatment of farm animals. Most of the nearly 9 billion animals raised for meat, milk and eggs in the US are suffering in inhumane factory farms. I know – it is disgusting and sad to even think about it. But where DOES your meat come from? Where do your eggs and dairy come from? And if you think you already know – have you checked to be certain?

Hormone-Free/No Hormones Added: Hormones are not approved by law for use on pigs or poultry, so the term is meaningless on those products.

Cage-Free: On eggs, this label indicates that hens were not raised in battery cages. However, it is an empty claim on poultry meat as meat birds are very rarely raised in cages, and are instead crowded into large, open sheds.

It’s important to understand the true meanings of food labels so you can make informed decisions and help animals by buying products that match your values. Learn more in this comprehensive guide from the ASPCA Meat, Eggs and Dairy Label Guide.

Good Grocery Resources – Farm animal cruelty, foodborne illness, worker abuse and pollution are interconnected problems, but you can help make our food supply healthier for people, animals and the planet.

Post a photo of yourself on your social media channels making the “heart hands” to show solidarity with the movement with sample language like: “Join the movement with me and pledge to #ShopWithYourHeart! aspca.org/ShopWithYourHeart @ASPCA.”

We are animal people. Every day, they make our lives better. Now we have the chance to make billions of farm animals’ lives better by making a few simple changes to how we shop.

And don’t forget to enter to win some fun items from the ASPCA to show off your dedication for humane and healthy food choices!